Bountiful Garden #02

Bountiful Garden #02

Mad Cave Studios 2021

Written by Ivy Noelle Weir

Illustrated by Kelly Williams

Coloured by Giorgio Spalletta

Lettered by Justin Birch

As engineers Anya and Kamari examine the stalled ship (with little help from the distraught Biologist, Jane), Botanist Marnie, Security Detail Kurt, and Architect Jonas hike across the planet below. Tempers flare as the teens try to figure out how to handle a situation they weren't prepared for.

There’s a fine line between writing them as kids versus adults and while they are what we would consider geniuses Ivy really manages to straddle that line like a tightrope walker. I am really impressed with how we see them argue and bicker like adults and yet still retain that innocence and fear that a child would face. Having split up into two groups we see the same situation play out in two separate locations with the appropriate local specific. Seeing them in action both trying to explore the surface as well as how they try to find the problem with the ship really showcases this whole science fiction horror aspect in the storytelling. The overall effect is utterly fantastic as this takes us through the gamut of emotions and feelings as well as how it takes us through the pages keeping the reader in a constant feeling of angst and unease.

I am very much enjoying the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see, which by the by is utterly phenomenal, through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter brings their personalities to forefront beautifully. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more tension building things become.

I like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. That these layers open up new avenues to be explored is fantastic and that they all add this depth, dimension and complexity to the story is even better. Whether he’s going on a space walk or the botanist is dealing with potential plant life these are the aspects I love seeing. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is extremely well achieved.

I like the interiors here. There is a very distinct style and it blends all-ages with indie, old school underground, comics creating something very new. I do wish we would see backgrounds utilised more because they do enhance and expand the moments. They also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a very talented eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows an extraordinary eye for how colour works.

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This to me takes a familiar spin and puts a fresh new face on it so it feels fresh and exciting. The kids being kids, super smart or not, demonstrate anger and authority issues with one another and yet they know their jobs inside and out and are freaking out because of the situation and circumstance they find themselves in. I cannot tell you enough how impressed I am with Ivy and the way she is writing this. The writing it superb and the characterisation is phenomenal while the uniques interiors bring this all to life creating a new feel to a classic horror genre.